Jan. 1849. NIGHT ON MON LEPCHA. 343 



except we conclude the valley to have been filled with ice 

 to that depth. A glance at the map will show that 

 Mon Lepcha is remarkably situated, opposite the face of 

 Kinchin-junga, and at the great bend of the Ratong. Had 

 that valley ever been filled with water during a glacial 

 period, Mon Lepcha would have formed a promontory, 

 and many floating bergs from Kinchin would have been 

 stranded on its flank : but I nowhere observed these rocks to 

 be of so fine a granite as I believe the upper rocks of Kin- 

 chin to be, and I consequently cannot advance even that 

 far-fetched solution with much plausibility. 



As I ascended, the rocks became more granitic, with 

 large crystals of mica. The summit was another broad 

 bare flat, elevated 13,080 feet, and fringed by a copse of 

 rose, berberry, and very alpine rhododendrons : the Hima- 

 layan heather {Andromeda fastigiata) grew abundantly here, 

 affording us good fuel. 



The toilsome ascent through the soft snow and brush- 

 wood delayed the coolies, who scarcely accomplished five 

 miles in the day. Some of them having come up by dark, 

 I prepared to camp on the mountain-top, strewing thick 

 masses of Andromeda and moss (which latter hung in 

 great tufts from the bushes) on the snow ; my blankets had 

 not arrived, but there was no prospect of a snow-storm. 



The sun was powerful when I reached the summit, and 

 I was so warm that I walked about barefoot on the frozen 

 snow without inconvenience, preferring it to continuing in 

 wet stockings : the temperature at the time was 29-^°, with 

 a brisk south-east moist wind, and the dew point 22° 8. 



The night was magnificent, brilliant starlight, with a 

 pale mist over the mountains : the thermometer fell to 

 15^° at 1\ p.m., and one laid upon wood with its bulb 

 freely exposed, sank to 1\° : the snow sparkled with broad 



